Library Juice 6:13 - June 19, 2003
Contents:
1. Links
2. Personal Report, ALA Web Meeting (Karen Schneider)
3. Discussion re: a proposed resolution on Cuba's "Independent Librarians"
4. Overzealous police arrest researcher at the Yale library
5. Press Release regarding the status of the old HCL Catalog files
Quote for the week:
"We're one of the most respected and even venerated places in communities.
People know that they're going to get pretty objective information and
they're not going to be subjected to commercialism."ALA President-Elect Carla Hayden, in the Toronto Star:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1052251834807
Homepage of the week: Melanie Elizabeth Hughes
http://www.mzhughes.com/_________________________________________________________________________top
1. Links:
-----
New on the Libr.org server:
Women's Studies Section of ACRL
http://libr.org/WSS/SRRT Newsletter issue 142, June 2003
http://www.libr.org/SRRT/news/srrt142.pdf-----
Media History (Journal)
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/carfax/13688804.html[ from News of Electronic Journals ]
-----
Librarians Association of the University of California resolution on the
USA PATRIOT Act.
http://www.ucop.edu/lauc/resolution.html[ from Dan Tsang ]
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SLA Branding Vote Result Press Release
(They are keeping the name Special Libraries Association)
http://www.sla.org/content/memberservice/communication/pr/pressrelease/2317c.cfmArticle in Information Today about the voting
http://www.infotoday.com/newsbreaks/nb030616-1.shtml[ from Ava Goldman ]
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June 2003 issue of International Leads
http://www.ala.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Our_Association/Round_Tables/IRRT/IRRT.htm[ from Dalin Guerra ]
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Mediareform.net
http://mediareform.net[ from Mark Rosenzweig ]
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"Government Views of SARS" (Updated Online SARS Bibliography)
http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/library/Divisions/Government/SARS.html[ from Grace-Ellen McCrann ]
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Emergency Red List of Iraqi Antiquities at Risk
http://icom.museum/redlist[ from Don Wood ]
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CUBA: `Independent librarians' not so independent
http://www.greenleft.org.au/current/541p19.htm[ From librarian.net ]
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The Responsibility of the Intellectuals: Cuba, the U.S. and Human Rights
James Petras - May 1, 2003
http://www.rebelion.org/petras/english/petrasmay12003.htm[ from Ryan Gage ]
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Library of Congress "Wise Guide" (highlights of LoC's online offerings)
http://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/[ from Librarians' Index to the Internet - http://lii.org/ ]
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Petition in support of the Public Domain Enhancement Act, to reverse most
of the negative effects of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act
(CTEA) by requiring a nominal ($1) fee for copyright renewal, leaving
works in the public domain which indisputably belong there. A very
modest proposal that ought to have a good chance - but does anything
make sense these days?http://www.PetitionOnline.com/eldred/petition.html
[ from Ray English ]
-----
Libraries Urge Justice to Block Sale of BertelsmannSpringer: Publisher
Mergers Threaten Access to Crucial Research (PDF)
http://www.arl.org/scomm/MergerRelease-530.pdf[ from Judith Matz ]
_________________________________________________________________________top
2. Personal Report, ALA Web Meeting (Karen Schneider)
[PUBLIB]
Karen G. Schneider (kgs[at]bluehighways.com)
Mon, 9 Jun 2003 18:28:08 -0700 (PDT)This is a personal summary of the June 7 meeting of ALA staff, the Web
Advisory Committee, and other ALA members, who met to discuss the new
ALA Web site. In the next few days, you can expect more formalized
summaries of the meeting. However, posting strictly on my own behalf,
out of my commitment to providing information to the PUBLIB and Web4Lib
communities, I can tell you what I gathered from the day-long meeting,
and I will first place it in context of the summary of events leading up
to the meeting.1. Background to the Meeting
Here is the context for the special meeting. Without exhuming and
flogging the ghosts of the past, the general consensus at the meeting
was that the migration to "ALA 2.0," as some of us dub the new site, was
plagued with a mix of problems common to many blemished projects: a
less-than-optimal vendor selection process, absence of an RFP, a failure
to conduct needs assessment and usability testing, poor communication
with and increasingly limited involvement of staff and members
(including the Web Advisory Committee), over-reliance on heavily
overextended ALA staff to do all of the content conversion, and a rushed
content conversion schedule focused on an arbitrary deadline.The result was the Heaven's Gate of Web site roll-outs. Many members and
other users of the site immediately began complaining about the
extremely long URLs, the erratic and often nonresponsive search engine,
the missing content, the slow response of the site, and the unusable
site map (to single out only several of the more obvious problems).
Highly-respected professionals such as Peter Jasco and Kathleen McCook
pointed out that in one day, ALA had broken thousands upon thousands of
links to professional literature in books, journal articles, and other
citing sources. Finally, many ALA members--particularly the
technology-literate "Gen I" community--complained that the new Web site
reflected poorly on information professionals and sent a very bad
message to prospective librarians and people outside our profession.
Web site statistics for February and May indicate that while usage of
the site has remained fairly flat (and fallen since February, though
that may be due to seasonal use patterns), failed page requests have
more than doubled, from 239,000 to almost 500,000.It took a little while for ALA to realize that the problem was not going
to "blow over," to quote an anonymous source. The first messages from
ALA misled many librarians and angered the tech-savvy by suggesting that
the site problems were inevitable to any large site design or
represented minor issues. However, as Keith Fiels explained to several
of us while inviting us to this meeting, the problems clearly were not
going to fix themselves, and it was time to take serious action.2. Outcomes
It is always hard to see into the heart of an organization and with
absolute certainty predict its future behavior. However, following
Saturday's discussion, I feel cautiously optimistic that the American
Library Association is now committed to the following short-term and
long-term goals (and Rory's report may offer more and/or different
insights):A. Short-term
* Working with the vendor to shorten the extremely long URLs
* Working hard to push the vendor, ActiveMatter, to improve or replace
the search engine
* Gathering and communicating information about the 25,000 Web pages
that were not transferred to the new site (many of which may be
mothballed, but at least some of which should be accounted for)
* Restore specific divisional Web addresses (e.g. www.lita.org ,
www.pla.org )
* Establishing communication mechanisms, such as a "web design"
discussion list, Web site updates, posts to library discussion lists,
and a Web site comments form, to update ALA members on the status of the
Web site, improve means for their feedback, and leverage the skills and
insights of our own members
* Regular and meaningful communication and interaction with the Web
Advisory CommitteeB. Long-term
* Identifying an ALA staff person who will be the face and voice of the
ALA Web site--a single point of contact at whose desk the buck clearly
stops
* Providing a standard roll-out plan and launch schedule for every IT
project
* Using the membership committee structure and other methods to include
ALA members in the technology planning process
* Establishing policies, style guides, and procedures for creating and
managing Web pages
* Providing careful usability and functionality testing throughout the
rollout cycle for all major new technologies such as Web sites
* Clearly delineated RFPs (Requests for Proposal) for all technologies
* Bringing in skilled consultants to help with technology planning,
implementation, and testing
* Better communication with membership about planned technologies
* Integrating Web Advisory Committee reports into the oral reports
presented at ALA Council IWe also discussed modifying the charge to the suddenly-visible Web
Advisory Committee to expand its role from policy review to that of (in
the words of ALA staff member Gerald Hodges) "informed advocates."3. Respectful Disagreements
Several members, including me, expressed our concern that moving on to
implementing new modules before fixing the current major problems was a
very bad idea. (Approximately a half-dozen modules are planned to be
added to the ALA database system.) The argument was made that getting
even farther in bed with a questionable vendor was counterproductive,
particularly when significant problems with the current modules had yet
to be resolved. Extensive discussion followed. In particular, ALA
argued that the need for an online conference registration module was so
pressing that it was going to implement this module in the very near
future even as it worked with the same vendor on the broken search
engine and long URLs.Another area that needed more discussion, in my opinion, was the
decision-making process for cost control. (Frankly, we made it through a
rather ambitious agenda in one day, so this may really fall under
"future items for discussion.") The cost of content conversion is borne
largely by each division and contributed to the problems with content
unavailability when the site launched. ALA staff were already stretched
before this project arrived; the ability to convert 40,000 pages in 4
months should have been more closely examined. On another cost issue,
the built-in costs of the vendor relationship should be examined (as
reported at the meeting, the vendor has high hourly charges for
customization, which encourages the use of "out of the box" solutions
and/or putting up with poorly implemented mechanisms to keep costs
contained).Overall, however, the meeting was positive, and I felt that ALA got the
message and has a plan. Certainly, the level of scrutiny for the Web
site, both inside and outside the ALA circle, has never been higher.4. Thoughts as a ALA Councilor
Short-term, ALA Council may want to entertain the prospect of a
resolution that would help outline the relationship of the ALA Web site
to ALA policy, underscore its importance as a significant presence and
repository for the organization, and provide guidance to ALA about the
methods through which decisions about the Web site are made and the
manner in which information about the Web site is communicated. I will
draft this if there is enough interest.Down the road, ALA members should start thinking about what they would
expect in the proposed members-only areas of the ALA Web site. It is
certainly reasonable that some information is either too privileged or
too "added value" to provide to the world at large. However, there are
both practical and philosophical issues related to moving content to a
members-only area, and the governing body of ALA should have a say, at
minimum, on the type of information that should be made available on the
public site, and the review process for ensuring that a members-only
area does not curtail general access to information we are committed to
sharing globally.5. Additional Resources
I recommend these evaluations of the site:
Jessamyn West, ALA Website Impressions:
http://www.librarian.net/websiteideas.htmlMarylaine Block, "How Not To Redesign a Web site":
http://marylaine.com/exlibris/xlib174.htmlWeb4Lib Discussion List, thread about ALA Web site:
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Web4Lib/archive.html
Try searching the following phrase, limit to last 90 days:ALA (website or (web site))
PUBLIB Discussion List, thread about ALA Web site:
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/PubLib/archive.html
Try searching the following phrase:ALA web site
6. Coda
While I do not speak for the committee or for ALA, as a personal member
and a Councilor at Large, I welcome your questions and comments. Again,
you can anticipate more (and more official) information in the near
future.Karen G. Schneider
ALA Councilor at Large
Incoming member (post-conference), Web Advisory Committee---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editor's note: For the official report of the WAC and other documents, visit:
http://www.ala.org/Content/ContentGroups/Web_Advisory_Committee/ALA_Web_Advisory_Committee_Documents.htm _________________________________________________________________________top
3. Discussion re: a proposed resolution on Cuba's "Independent Librarians"
On Saturday 14 June 2003 05:10 pm, Stephen Denney wrote:
> Below is the text of the proposed ALA resolution on independent libraries
> in Cuba, as sent to me on request by Walter Skold. I believe this
> deserves to be considered on its own merits.
>
> - Steve Denney
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>
>
> Draft ALA Resolution on Independent Cuban Librarians
> May 5, 2003
>
> WHEREAS: "The American Library Association (ALA) believes that freedom of
> expression is an inalienable human right, necessary to self-government,
> vital to the resistance of oppression, and crucial to the cause of
> justice, and further, that the principles of freedom of expression should
> be applied by libraries and librarians throughout the world" (Policy
> 53.1.12, "Universal Right to Free Expression");
>
> WHEREAS the ALA Code of Ethics declares that ALA members are "explicitly
> committed to intellectual freedom;" and our members oppose government
> censorship of news media and suppression of access to unclassified
> government information (Policy 53.3, "Freedom to Read;" Policy 53.5,
> "Shield Laws");
>
> WHEREAS the ALA upholds a professional ethic of facilitating access to
> information, not monitoring access (Policy 53.1, "Library Bill of
> Rights;" Policy 53.1.17, "Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic
> Libraries"), and whereas as a matter of principle the ALA defends the
> human rights of all librarians and library workers around the world,
> whether or not they have library degrees;
>
> WHEREAS the ALA Library Bill of Rights calls for cooperation with "all
> persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement of free
> expression;" and
>
> WHEREAS Ten members of the Independent Library movement in Cuba have
> recently been sentenced cumulatively to 196 years in prison during
> secret, one-day trials and charged with subversion because they exercised
> their rights of intellectual freedom, and WHEREAS thousands of books as
> well as circulation records have been confiscated by police from the
> libraries;
>
> The American Library Association joins with library colleagues around the
> world, Amnesty International, various non-governmental organizations, and
> numerous individual writers and human rights activists from all walks of
> life in deploring these actions, and we call on the Government of Cuba to
> immediately release all 10 of the independent librarians who have been
> jailed for exercising their right to free expression, and to return all
> books which have been confiscated from the book collections.
>
> The ALA recognizes the advancements which have been achieved in Cuba
> concerning the development of public libraries, the general rate of
> literacy and the level of education, and we affirm the ALA's previous
> resolutions regarding United States policy and Cuba, as well as it's
> desire to maintain and develop professional relationships with members of
> the ASCUBI [La Asociación Cubana de Bibliotecarios]
>
> However, the membership of the ALA urges the Cuban government to uphold
> the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to put
> an end to the intimidation of the independent Library movement in Cuba.
> We further urge the Cuban government not to restrict either the public or
> independent libraries from adhering to the principles of freedom of
> access to information and freedom of expression as defined in the
> International Federation of Library Associations' (IFLA) Statement on
> Libraries and Intellectual Freedom.---------------------------------------
[MEMBER-FORUM:148] Re: Cuba resolution
Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 19:30:45 -0700
From: Rory Litwin <rlitwin[at]earthlink.net> (Libr.org)
To: sdenney[at]OCF.Berkeley.EDU, ALA Member Forum <member-forum[at]ala.org>
Cc: srrtac-l[at]ala.org
Reply to: rlitwin[at]earthlink.netI think the debate on this question has focused on the wrong things. It's
not a matter of whether the people in question should be downgraded to
non-librarian status because of a lack of credentials. It's whether they
they are in fact performing the functions of librarians - organizing
information, lending books, etc. - or whether they are run of the mill
dissidents (whose right to dissent is, I think, beside the point) who are
simply claiming the mantle of "librarian" (or having it given to them) for
the intended purpose not of meeting Cubans' information needs but in order
to attract sympathy for their cause. I think the evidence has shown that
it's the latter - what they call their libraries are simply very small
personal collections of books. The lending is limited to the lending
between friends that all Cuban citizens do. Certainly, we all agree that
people have a right to own and borrow and lend whatever books they want on
a personal basis. But we should also agree that doing this doesn't make a
person a librarian. This would leave these folks in the position of being
strictly anti-government activists (not librarians), of which every country
has its share, some paid with US gov't funds (as these are), and some not.
Granting this, the question of whether they deserve our support would have
to be asked of anti-government activists in other countries where the same
level of dissent is banned - many of these in countries considered to be
our allies. Granting that these folks aren't performing the function of
librarian in any way, and granting that the question of credentials is
irrelevant, you'd have to admit that there's no specific reason to draft a
resolution about the situation in Cuba specifically, rather than a
resolution supporting the right to dissent in all countries (which is
already our policy).Aside from this, a good argument can be made that the dissent of these
non-librarians is not home-grown, that it has been hired out. We do know
that the US gov't spends a very significant amount of money to fund
anti-government activity in Cuba. Supporting the so-called independent
librarians may seem like supporting free speech, but it is also supporting
a particular US policy intended to overthrow the Cuban government. This
isn't to say that the Cubans involved are going against their beliefs, but
that the US funding of their activities and their role in US policy
definitely complicates the picture and should mitigate any support that's
offered on the basis of intellectual freedom.I think any resolution about the situation in Cuba would simply be
perpetuating a falshood if it called these folks "librarians" - not because
of a lack of credentials but because of a misrepresentation of what they
are actually doing. So I am saying that it is a ruse that has fooled a lot
of very intelligent people who simply haven't put in the time or attention
(and in all cases, their lives are very busy) to see what is actually going
on here.Rory Litwin
--------------------------------------------------------
Re: ALA and Cuba
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2003 17:20:37 -0400
From: Mark Rosenzweig <iskra[at]earthlink.net>
To: "O'Grady, Mary" <Mary.O'Grady[at]wsj.com>
Cc: alacoun[at]ala.org, srrtac-l[at]ala.org, plgnet-l[at]listproc.sjsu.eduDear Ms. O'Grady,
It was interesting discussing with you, reporting for the Wall
Street Journal, the issues you raised on the phone, ranging from the
nature of the ALA Council, its listserv, the informal nature of the
discussion among elected Councilors in that forum, the discussion
there of the so-called 'independent librarians' in Cuba who were
foolish enough to operate, in violation of Cuban law (as it would be
of US law) as paid covert operatives of a foreign and hostile power,
the US, challenging the sovereignty of he Cuban nation.This involved them in the machinations of the US Interest Section in
Havana, which supplied them with dollars and material in a
conspiratorial scheme which blew up in their faces. As I consider
many of them unfortunate pawns in a US-based scenario of
destabilization, I do not favor harsh sentences against them all,
although I believe them to be legally culpable.Also, I recognize there is a legitimate dissident movement in Cuba
which eschews ties to the US and whose rights I would defend to Fidel
Castro's face, although their rights have not been abridged and are
not at issue presently.I favor the cultivation of democracy in Cuba -- as do all supporters
in good faith of a better and better future for Cuba -- by
indigenous forces there, independent of US schemes.Democracy needs to be cultivated constantly, even in the US, where it
is not a gift from on high, but the result of hard won gains of many
struggles, and still in process even here, something not to be taken
for granted.I should add, too, that Cuba is not my principal area of concern
personally, as an activist in the library world. You might want to
take a look at my personal 'web page' to see the range of my
interests and activities in librarianship of which Cuba is only one
item on a large agenda. My page is at
http://home.earthlink.net/~iskra/index.html and I really urge you to
at least glance at it. It should put this in context.For example, I am one of 3 principle authors of a proposed resolution
coming up at this conference against the FCC's change in regulations
as impacting on US citizens' access to information.Please feel free to quote from this communication or from my web site.
I would be happy to further clarify any matters with regards to the
Cuba issue and my relation to it and position on it. I have been open
and frank with you and I trust you will be fair in quoting me,
despite our obvious difference of opinion about the nature of Cuban
society (you think it is a 'military dictatorship', I think it is a
'republic', you think Marta Terry is a representative of a 'military
dictatorship', I consider her to be the distinguished representative
of my librarian colleagues' professional association in Cuba).I would like to know when your article will appear (I am an on-line
subscriber to the WSJ).
Sincerely,
Mark Rosenzweig
ALA Councilor at large (speaking for himself alone)>Dear Mr. Rosenzweig,
>I am writing a column about the ALA's stance on intellectual freedom in Cuba
>and the independent libraries.
>I would like to talk to you. I am especially interested in an email that was
>sent to the ALA council list by you on the subject of Nat Hentoff's remarks
>on Cuba and the ALA.
>I am at 212-416-4904. If you phone and I am not available please leave a
>message to let me know when is a good time to reach you. Or send me an email
>with the best time to phone.
>Thank you.
>Mary O'Grady
>
_________________________________________________________________________top
4. Overzealous police arrest researcher at the Yale library
Readers... A librarian acquaintance at Yale calls the incident described in
the following court document as "police authority gone mad." It is
certainly an example of how far our fear of terrorism and "the enemy" in
general has taken us into an ever more frightening reality, one which it
remains possible for any of us to ignore - until the one being detained for
questioning is us.Stephen Groninger sent me the "motion to dismiss" the charges against him
which follows below. If the description of the library's policies is too
dull, skim it; it is here for the record and also establishes part of the
defendant's case. The story below it shouldn't be missed.--------------------------------------------------------
To:State of Connecticut Superior Court
Judicial District or G.A. Court 23
121 Elm Street
New Haven, CTFrom: Stephen Groninger, Defendant
179 Dwight Street, Apt. 204
New Haven, CT 06511-4565
(203) 624-1521Charge:DC; May 22, 2003
& DateAppearanceJune 3, 2003; 9:30 a.m.
Date & TimeMOTION TO DISMISS
The defendant moves that the charge be dismissed.
The defendant was entering Sterling Memorial Library at Yale
University on May 22, 2003.The defendant has a "YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DESK PASS" from the
Privileges Office at Sterling Memorial Library.The granting of library privileges to non-Yale researchers is
described in the third paragraph of the World Wide Web document
http://www.library.yale.edu/circ. This document is entitled "Yale
University Library: Borrowing and Circulation":Library privileges may also be granted to researchers not
affiliated with Yale. All non-Yale researchers who wish to use the Yale
collections must register in person at the Privileges Office (located in
Sterling Memorial Library) Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
On Saturdays, assistance with privileges is offered at the Sterling
Memorial Library Circulation Desk from 10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. Library
privileges are personnel and may not be transferred to others.The granting of access to non-Yale users is also described in the second
paragraph of the Introduction of the World Wide Web document
http://www.library.yale.edu/circ/privlegs.html. The document is entitled
"Yale University Library - Borrowing and Circulation":The libraries have been developed primarily as the working and research
collections of the faculty, students, and staff of the university. It is
expected that users who are not affiliated with the university will have
exhausted other resources before turning to the Yale Library. The intent
of these regulations is to insure access to the library for members of
the Yale community and to provide means whereby its materials may be
made available to other qualified students and scholars. It is not
possible to offer service to non-Yale undergraduate college, high school,
or elementary school students, except as indicated below. By Federal Law
or depository agreements, the collections of the Government Documents
and Information Center are available for use by the public.These regulations reveal that "Library privileges may also be granted to
researchers not affiliated with Yale." The defendant has registered at the
Privileges Office, and has obtained a "YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DESK PASS,"
which reads as follows:YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DESK PASSThis card authorizes use of paging services and public
reading rooms. Please show the card when you pick
up books at the Circulation Desk. This card does not
authorize access to the Sterling Stacks or borrowing
for home use.Books may not be borrowed for your use by others.
-----
The defendant was arrested on Thursday, May 22, 2003 outside the main
entrance to Sterling Memorial Library at Yale University.A bomb exploded the previous day, Wednesday, May 21, 2003 at the Yale
University Law School, immediately across Wall Street from Sterling
Memorial Library.The Connecticut Post, Valley Edition, Thursday, May 22, 2003 published an
Associated Press article, "Bomb Shocks Yale," on pages A1 and A17. The
article was datelined New Haven. The first paragraph read as follows:A bomb exploded in an empty classroom at Yale University Law School
Wednesday, sending debris flying and students scrambling for safety.
No injuries were reported.A Yale spokeswoman was reported as Karen Peart.
The FBI spokesman was reported as Ed Cogswell.
The New Haven Register reported, according to this Connecticut Post
article, that seven explosive-sniffing dogs were sent.The FBI was said to be the lead agency in the investigation.
The Connecticut State Police Major Crime Unit was involved.
The Department of Environmental Protection Emergency Spill Response Unit
was also involved.The New Haven Police were treating the explosion as a criminal matter,
according to Acting New Haven Police Chief Francisco Ortiz.John Gill, a Secret Service spokesman, reported that one of President
George Walker Bush's daughters, Barbara, was in no danger from the blast.
Barbara is an undergraduate at Yale.The FBI sent members of its Joint Terrorism Task Force to New Haven.
As the defendant walked toward the steps of the main entrance to Sterling
Memorial Library on Thursday, May 22, 2003, the day after the blast at the
Yale University Law School, he noted yellow police tape on some sections of
the entryway. However, the entry was clearly being utilized, both by
patrons making entrance to the library, and exit from the library. The
library was obviously not closed. The defendant began to walk up the steps
leading to the doors of the main entrance to the library.A Yale security officer asked the defendant if he had a Yale ID. The
defendant asked the Yale security officer if a Yale Library Card would do.
The Yale security officer said, "I said a Yale ID," stressing the words
"Yale ID" in a mean and belligerent tone. The defendant concluded that the
Yale security officer was being motivated by the bombing of the Yale
University Law School on the previous day, and the failure of the law
enforcement agencies to capture the bomber. The defendant felt that arguing
with the Yale security guard would not be efficient; indeed, it seemed like
a waste of time. The defendant shrugged, and said, "I don't have one," and
turned to go to the New Haven Free Public Library, in order to type some
address labels for some manuscripts.As the defendant neared the bottom of the outside steps of the main
entrance to Sterling Memorial Library, a loud "Hey!" was yelled from behind
him. The voice was not at all professional. It was filled with a mixture of
anger, frustration, and aggression. For a moment, the source of the voice
was not clear to the defendant, but he quickly concluded that it must be
coming from a Yale security guard. The defendant had no desire to engage in
any more contact. The defendant realized that he had been ordered away from
the library, without just cause, and was obeying this direction. Now, the
defendant was hearing a voice, yelling at him to stop. This was
inappropriate; the directions were contradictory. The defendant decided to
continue obeying the first direction, and to keep walking away from the
library. The defendant considered that in the worst case scenario of
arrest, he would explain to the Judge that he had been inappropriately
ordered not to enter the library; that he had walked away; that he had
heard aggressive yells; and that he had continued to walk away.The defendant felt a hand upon his shoulder. The defendant immediately
concluded that he would be arrested on some fallacious charge. The
defendant decided to go into a Ghanian state, to offer no resistance, to
give his name and address, and to refer all other questions to his counsel.Yale security guards took the defendant into the main entrance of Sterling
Memorial Library, turned right after passing through the entryway bar, and
turned right on the carpeted pathway into the large Reading Room. The Yale
Police decided to utilize the office of a Yale librarian, with wonderful
walls of books and comfortable chairs, for questioning the defendant. The
librarian was absent from her office at the time.The FBI was the main questioning entity.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms furnished a dog to sniff my
briefcase.The New Haven Police Department also furnished another dog. All results
were negative.The Secret Service was informed of the questioning of the defendant.
The New Haven Police asked the defendant if they could open his briefcase.
The defendant said, "Go ahead." They asked, "If we open it, will we get
blown away?" It was difficult for the defendant to withhold his laughter,
but he was successful. He simply answered, "No." The defendant's briefcase
was searched.The Yale Police asked, "Why do you carry a briefcase?" The defendant told
them that he carried his books, notebooks, and papers in it. The Yale
Police responded, "Yes, but why do you use a briefcase?"The defendant pondered whether the Yale Police were possibly implying some
improper statement politically incorrect actio. The defendant said, "I
don't know what you mean."A Yale student with a knapsack walked by. A Yale Police officer pointed at
the student and said, "Look at that. That's what everybody carries these
days. Why don't you use one?"The defendant's freedom to carry his books and notebooks and papers in a
briefcase if he so desired seemed quite clear and obvious. The defendant
could not cite the specific phrase from the particular Constitutional
Amendment that protected this freedom, but he was quickly confident that a
Judge would support this freedom.The excessive interest of the Yale Police and the New Haven Police in the
defendant's briefcase helps to make the reason for this fraudulent arrest
more apparent. On the day after the bombing at the Yale University Law
School, numerous local, state, and federal agencies were all involved in
investigating the Yale University Law School bombing, and their failure to
capture a suspect had embarrassed them enough to diminish the requisite
probability in the definition of probable cause below an acceptable level.
Without explosives found in the defendant's briefcase, even by the sniffing
of two dogs, a fallacious charge was set forth in order to cover up the
improper actions of all of the law enforcement agencies working together.The defendant, sitting in the Librarian's office at Sterling Memorial
Library at Yale University after questioning by FBI agents, heard an FBI
agent say, "We don't want him. You can do want you want." The defendant
could not see this conversation; the words were most likely directed to
officers of the Yale Police or the New Haven Police.The questioning in the Librarian's office and the simple sitting, alone,
lasted about an hour for the defendant.The Librarian entered her office and saw the defendant being questioned in
her office. She was aghast. She tried to inform the law enforcement
officers that Sterling Memorial Library is a public facility. She utilized
the phrase "public facility" repeatedly. The law enforcement officers
either did not understand her, or they simply purposefully chose to ignore
her.The defendant was handcuffed and taken out the main entrance. It was
raining; the defendant was not permitted to use his umbrella. A police van
arrived in fifteen or twenty minutes. The defendant was taken to police
headquarters at 1 Union Avenue. His handcuffs were tightened; they were
removed shortly thereafter. The defendant asked to make a telephone call;
he was told he would have to be "processed" first. The defendant was never
permitted to make a telephone call.The defendant was placed in a cell with two black arrestees. He began to
count his breaths. He was taken from his cell, photographed, fingerprinted,
and placed back in his cell. A bail commissioner said that his bail would
be $250,000.; that seemed fictional to the defendant, and he chose not to
believe it.The Yale Police and the New Haven Police discussed what to charge the
defendant with. Their discussions were audible to the defendant. They
decided upon Disorderly Conduct. They continued to ask, "Does he have any
witnesses?" One voice was firm in repeatedly stating that the reports of
the New Haven Police and the Yale Police would have to be very similar.My wallet reveals my epilepsy, my Neurologist's name and telephone number,
and instructions on what to do in the event of a seizure. The police
considered these data to be fictional, but the work of an intelligent
person who knew what to do to keep himself out of jail.A friendly black women working at the jail asked if the defendant felt any
epileptic symptoms. The defendant replied, No.The Yale Police and the New Haven Police stood near the defendant's cell,
but out of the defendant's sight. The defendant could clearly hear their
discussions on how the defendant should be handled. One recommendation was
that the police artist be called, in order to make a drawing of the
defendant. This drawing could then be placed with a group of other drawings
that had already been made. The police speculated that a witness examining
these drawings might mistakenly choose the defendant's drawing from the
group. The police mentioned that four drawings had already been made. This
recommendation was dropped from consideration relatively quickly.The defendant has been attending lectures and discussions at the
Institution for Social and Policy Studies, ISPS, at Yale University for two
years. The Associate Director has written the following letter of reference
for the defendant:"May 29, 2003
"To Whom It May Concern:
"Steve Groninger has been attending symposia, working group meetings,
and other events sponsored by Yale's Interdisciplinary Bioethics Project
at
the Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University for the
past
two years."He interacts thoughtfully with the members of the Bioethics Project and
has
been a stable participant for this entire period."Sincerely,
"Carol Pollard
"Associate Director
"The Institution for Social and Policy Studies
and Yale's Interdisciplinary Bioethics Project"The defendant's use of the library facilities at Yale University are
documented in his publications in library journals indexed under his name
in the Author Catalog of the Ingenta Search Engine on the World Wide Web.
Nineteen of his articles are presently listed. Some of his published
articles that are not list in the Ingenta Search Engine are listed in the
"Publications" section of the defendant's resume.The defendant's present primary research is on the use of the word
"library" in the definition of "public accommodations" in the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990, along with Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, to mandate the reinstatement of free interlibrary loan books
for disabled library patrons who cannot drive to distant libraries.The defendant is well recognizable to the library employees at Sterling
Memorial Library at Yale University. The defendant called the Reference
Librarian at Sterling Memorial Library the day after his arrest to request
assistance in locating the appropriate librarian to convey his apologies
for any disruptions this event made for the library. Two or three
librarians were spoken to by the defendant.The defendant attends the New Haven Friends Meeting and serves on the
Peace & Social Outreach Committee. Friend Maria Lamberto is kind enough to
be with the defendant at the defendant's arraignment. AFSC Connecticut
Representative Kimberly Crichton has kindly permitted the defendant to
consult with her.The fallacious charge of disturbing the peace was the result of the
defendant legally and peacefully attempting entry to Sterling Memorial
Library at Yale University on the day after a bombing at the Yale
University Law School. The defendant has exhibited for the court
regulations of the Yale University Library showing that use of the library
by the public is permitted. The defendant has exhibited for the court a
Yale University Library Desk Pass. The arresting officers either were not
aware of the defendant's rights, or they simply chose to ignore them.The arresting officers decided to set a false charge before the Court to
hide their faulty actions.They chose the false charge of Disorderly Conduct.
The defendant moves that the charge be nolled.
The defendant moves that the Court instruct the State to remove this
arrest from the record of the defendant.Respectfully submitted,
Stephen T. Groninger
Defendantenc:"YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DESK PASS," issued to the Defendant
World Wide Web document http://www.library.yale.edu/circ, "Yale University
Library: Borrowing and Circulation," third paragraphWorld Wide Web document http://www.library.yale.edu/circ/privlegs.html,
"Yale University Library Ñ Borrowing and Circulation," Introduction,
second paragraphThe Connecticut Post, Valley Edition, Thursday, May 22, 2003, "Bomb Shocks
Yale," Associated Press, pages A1 and A17
_________________________________________________________________________top
5. Press Release regarding the status of the old HCL Catalog files
and editorial comments
June 18, 2003
The University of Illinois has reached an agreement with Hennepin County
to preserve, save, protect, and administer catalog records from the
Hennepin County Library (HCL). The files will be managed by the
University of Illinois Archives according to the terms of a perpetual use
licensing agreement reached between the County and the University of
Illinois.As noted in the agreement, HCL recently changed its cataloging practices
to replace its locally-developed subject headings with Library of Congress
subject headings (LCSH). HCL and the University agreed to preserve the
databases for scholarly, educational, and research purposes, acknowledging
their importance in the history of cataloging practices. The University
of Illinois is a logical repository for the HCL Catalog files since it
administers the American Library Association Archives and has strong
print, archives, and manuscript collections related to the history of
librarianship.The files being preserved include authority records and bibliographic
records current as of October 2001 and February 2002 respectively. The
files are in USMARC format. The databases are available for scholarly,
educational, and research use at the University Archives. No commercial
use is allowed under the terms of the licensing agreement.Over the next several months, the University will be exploring options for
providing access to the information stored in the USMARC files. In the
meantime, individuals may request a copy of the databases in USMARC format
on CD-ROM by signing a sub-licensing agreement and providing a CD-R disk.
More information is available from Assistant University Archivist Chris
Prom at prom[at]uiuc.edu.-----------------------------------
Editor's note:
See Library Juice 2:17 Supplement (April 28, 1999) for background info.
http://www.libr.org/Juice/issues/vol2/LJ_2.17.s.htmlAlso see the "Sanford Berman Website"
http://web.library.uiuc.edu/ahx/ead/ala/9701040a/berman/sanford.htmActivists in Berman's camp are angry that no provisions have been made to
share the files with libraries for their use in cataloging. Apparently
the licensing agreement treats such use as "commercial use," as referred
to in the press release. Some in management might take it for granted
that a database like this is a property and that a library's use
of it would be considered "commercial," meaning, "If we had decided to
let you actually use the files in your library, of course you would
have had to pay us for the privilege." It is not immediately clear why
HCL wrote the license agreement in a way that specifically forbids use
of the files for other than scholarly purposes - whether for money or not.My personal reaction to this complaint has a couple of sides to it. On
the one hand, it does seem odd that HCL is protecting their "property" in
this way, and I wonder about their motives. On the other hand, Berman was
(and is) the great champion of local cataloging, and managed the cataloging
department and did so much of the cataloging specifically to meet local needs.
Turning the HCL Subject Headings and catalog records into an off-the-shelf
'alternative' to LCSH and LC's CIP records would go against years of advocacy
of growing your own catalog to suit your community as only a local
cataloging department can. There are obvious advantages to the uniformity
of shared cataloging, and there are definite elements in Berman's way of
cataloging that would represent excellent reforms in the millions and
millions of records that make up WorldCat. At the same time there's
much to be said for investing in local cataloging in some situations.
The complexities involved show, I think, that the files probably are of
more use to LIS researchers wanting to bring the best of Berman's innovations
into wider use than they would be for catalog departments to use as a
substitute for LCSH or as a first source for catalog records.I wonder, would a head cataloger's extensive use of the files for ideas
and cataloging help count as acceptable or unacceptable use? I think that
is a question which will have to be answered at some point._________________________________________________________________________top
L I B R A R Y J U I C E
ISSN 1544-9378
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